Swish: Hatchell out-coached in Delaware game

[pinotbear]

1. Until Maya came to Storrs, UConn was 2-5 against North Carolina. The record now stands at 6-5. Was Coach Auriemma being outcoached by Coach Hatchell or did Coach Hatchell have better players?
2. One of UConn's losses to North Carolina was in the 1994 Elite Eight game when UConn as the #1 seed lost to #3 seeded North Carolina who went on to win the national championship. Was Coach Auriemma outcoached in that game? This was pretty much the same UConn team, the exact same starting lineup, that went undefeated the following season; A darn good UConn team.

The answers lie somewhere at and between both extremes. Getting outcoached is a fan/pundit argument as is all the second guessing we tend/love to do. The fact is Delaware beat North Carolina because they played better basketball on Tuesday night. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, who scored 30 points in the previous tournamanet game against Albany, scored a mere 4 points on 1-13 against Delaware. It does not matter what defensive matchups Coach Hatchell orchestrated, if your senior leader does not show up in a big game, then you are general fighting a war with limited artillery.

This is the kind of post I really like, and respect: puts out a well-phrased position, and backs in with facts, unemotionally. It also taught me something I didn't know, as recent UNC games had colored my perception of the "balance of power" as well.

I would add three things. There's always the possibility that a coach, no matter how accomplished, doesn't keep up with how the game changes & develops - examples might include Summitt & C Viv on the offensive end of the floor. A coach might just lose their fire for the job or aspects of the job - examples might include Foster & recruiting at Ohio State (certainly, Hatchell has not slipped in recruiting!). Lastly, a coach just may come across as less-than-gracious in defeat or dissappointment, and therebye make fans think lesser of them. It also puts their program in the spotlight after a defeat, so fans associate the team with losing efforts. Hatchell (and, to a degree, Portland) might fall into this category.

 

[RadyLady]

From the UConn Media Guide, Page 89(BTW: I quoted an old media guide in my previous post. UConn is now 7-5 against North Carolina. Also, the first contest between the two schools occurred before Coach Auriemma and Coach Hatchell assumed their current positions)


North Carolina (7-5)
H: 4-1; A; 2-2; N: 1-2

1/12/80 L 51-84 A
3/26/94 L 69-81 N
12/2/95 W 77-62 N
11/15/01 W 94-74 H
11/21/04 L 65-71 N
12/5/05 L 54-77 H
1/15/07 L 76-82 A
1/21/08 W 82-71 H
1/19/09 W 88-58 A
1/9/10 W 88-47 H
1/17/11 W 83-57 A
1/16/12 W 86-35 H

Wow, thanks so much, VA.
I guess I blocked out the post Taurasi years.

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Blakeon18]

I was at that UConn/Carolina final 8 game in 1994 at the RAC. We were darn good but had nowhere near the athleticism of Carolina. We needed our A game and didn't get it. Pretty much the same team in 1995? No way. Nykesha Sales was THE difference between the final 8 squad and the 35-0 team. We still weren't as athletic as many top level teams but she closed the gap bigtime.

Admission: can't say I have ever been a fan of Sylvia. Great recruiter...maybe in part because it is Chapel Hill.

Not exactly carrying a grudge about it but that game had one of the dirtiest plays in the women's game I have ever seen. A Carolina big guard [Sampson?] was jogging down the court and gave Rizzotti a wicked elbow to the stomach and she went down like she had been shot. I later saw a tape of the game and commentator Robin Roberts was completely stunned by it.

Hatchell later declared that the incident happened during a rebound ing scuffle....complete fabrication.

Just in general...does Geno sometimes get outcoached? Sure....imo.

 

[HuskyNan]

Wow, thanks so much, VA.
I guess I blocked out the post Taurasi years.

Too little Diana, too much Ivory Latta, she of the striped knee sox. She's one of four players (that I recall) to get a standing O from UConn fans.

 

[semper]

Whatever, the situation at UNC next year is fascinating and I will watch with great interest. A group of players band together to work together to become the best team in the land...coach smoach...this is something that has never happened before, and is only possible because of the internet and the high level of communication between young players. Really, this is an amazing set of circumstances.

 

[VAUConnFan]

I was at that UConn/Carolina final 8 game in 1994 at the RAC. We were darn good but had nowhere near the athleticism of Carolina. We needed our A game and didn't get it. Pretty much the same team in 1995? No way. Nykesha Sales was THE difference between the final 8 squad and the 35-0 team. We still weren't as athletic as many top level teams but she closed the gap bigtime.

My sentiments exactly regarding the importance of recruiting Nykesha Sales. She could score at will, create her own shot, and defend.

There is no way to mistake North Carolina's guard tandem in 1994. Tonya Sampson was, arguably, one of the strongest women to ever play the game, and Carolina's point guard was, unquestionably, the fastest woman to ever play the game.
Whatever happened in that game between Sampson and Rizzotti, Ms Rizzotti was very gracious after the game and very effusive in her praise of Ms Sampson.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/19...2_1_sampson-competitive-person-north-carolina

 

[Buzzyboy]

"Looking ahead, Hatchell has the best recruiting class in the country coming in next year. Should that roster win at least one National Championship? Sure. Will they? Recent history suggests it's unlikely."

LINK

I have to say that for several years now it's been apparent to me that she is one of the lousiest coaches in the business. Her teams are continually outplayed when matched up with teams with any reasonable talent level. She's always had a boatload of talent and whenever she's played teams that were TOTALLY outmatched, she's won on the sheer talent of her players. When she's met teams that had somewhat similar talent, she's rarely won because she is a bad coach. She obviously is a great recruiter and is aided by the fact that North Carolina is a great school with wonderful facilities and a wonderful climate. Her talent level is always in the top ten and more often than not in the top five of any program around but despite gaudy win totals, her teams constantly underperform when meeting teams of comparable talent. I don't know how she continues her job. I'm not saying Pat Summitt isn't a better coach because she is but she also has gaudy numbers that were built on her ALWAYS having the most talent, at least until UConn emerged in 1995. How many times prior to then had ANY team had as much talent as Tennessee????? Maybe a handful of times but Summitt always won because she had the most talent in the country, generally. Sorry if I strayed on the Sylvia subject but I do see a parallel between them. We are so lucky to have Geno who has frequently had wonderful success with lesser teams (though not too many lesser teams lately) and overachieved. Has Pat Summitt or Sylvia Hatcher ever OVERACHIEVED!!!!!!!

 

[Buzzyboy]

Not sure if I get what you are saying she said. If you trounced her and she said you can't play any better (i.e. you played really well), I don't see what is wrong with that. OTH, maybe you just have to be a UConn fan.

My signature Sylvia quote was the time she was close or leading UConn at the half, and was interviewed exiting the court. Asked what adjustments she would make, she said she didn't need to make any. My wife and I heard the bell of doom tolling as soon as she said it, because Geno was (and did) going to make adjustments.

Never-the-less, I suspect in truth that she is not as bad a coach as many want to make out (and not as good as some think).

What was meant by that was had North Carolina played anywhere near their capability it would have been a different story because it was less about how good UConn played and more about how BAD North Carolina played.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Jeez, I'd hate to hear what the Notre Dame fan board has to say about Geno's coaching ability!

I don't have an opinion on the skill or lack there of of Hatchell's coaching -- I do, though, feel that she's less than gracious/honest after a loss. Compare her comments to Gary Blair after what must have been a hard loss v. Nebraska:

“Sorry we were a little short tonight on how we played the game,” Blair said. “I know we could do better, but I don’t know if Nebraska could play any better than they did. They were magnificent.”​

 

[HuskyNan]

Re; Tina Martin, she's had a few bad year, sure, but she's had some terrific ones, too. Record at Delaware.

Honest question, why do people think Martin isn't a good coach? She's had her share of conference titles, WNIT and NCAA games; seems to me most fans would be thrilled with those results.

 

[DaddyChoc]

My sentiments exactly regarding the importance of recruiting Nykesha Sales. She could score at will, create her own shot, and defend.

There is no way to mistake North Carolina's guard tandem in 1994. Tonya Sampson was, arguably, one of the strongest women to ever play the game, and Carolina's point guard was, unquestionably, the fastest woman to ever play the game.
Whatever happened in that game between Sampson and Rizzotti, Ms Rizzotti was very gracious after the game and very effusive in her praise of Ms Sampson.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/19...2_1_sampson-competitive-person-north-carolina

sounds like a tough cookie

 

[triaddukefan]

sounds like a tough cookie

And she is still tough. Every year during the first ACC semifinals, they present a legend from each school. She was the pick for the tarheels a few years ago. Among her activities after her professional basketball career ended .... playing linebacker for a Women's professional Football team out of Charlotte .

 

[VAUConnFan]

sounds like a tough cookie

"A lot of guys tried to take advantage of me. They would say, 'Oh, we can run over her.' My friends would say, 'You can do that if you want to. You'll get something you don't want,' " said Sampson.

Although unable to dig up anything regarding the elbowing incident Blakeon18 witnessed, it is hard to imagine, with Jamelle Elliott on the floor, anyone other than Tonya Sampson taking on Jeniffer Rizzotti or any other UConn player, for that matter; Someone not the least bit intimidated by Jamelle.

 

[BRS24]

"A lot of guys tried to take advantage of me. They would say, 'Oh, we can run over her.' My friends would say, 'You can do that if you want to. You'll get something you don't want,' " said Sampson.

Although unable to dig up anything regarding the elbowing incident Blakeon18 witnessed, it is hard to imagine, with Jamelle Elliott on the floor, anyone other than Tonya Sampson taking on Jeniffer Rizzotti or any other UConn player, for that matter; Someone not the least bit intimidated by Jamelle.

This was when we just started following UCONN WBB, and my hubby and I were screaming at the tv when we saw the elbow to Jen's midsection. It was probably not picked up by the refs as I think it was trailing the live play ... but still, if today, might have been picked up on video replay for the refs. Although a long long time ago, I still remember wondering why Sampson did it, as it was immaterial to the ongoing play and it did seem to have some intent.

 

[CCinCT]

I was at that UConn/Carolina final 8 game in 1994 at the RAC. We were darn good but had nowhere near the athleticism of Carolina. We needed our A game and didn't get it. Pretty much the same team in 1995? No way. Nykesha Sales was THE difference between the final 8 squad and the 35-0 team. We still weren't as athletic as many top level teams but she closed the gap bigtime.

Admission: can't say I have ever been a fan of Sylvia. Great recruiter...maybe in part because it is Chapel Hill.

Not exactly carrying a grudge about it but that game had one of the dirtiest plays in the women's game I have ever seen. A Carolina big guard [Sampson?] was jogging down the court and gave Rizzotti a wicked elbow to the stomach and she went down like she had been shot. I later saw a tape of the game and commentator Robin Roberts was completely stunned by it.

Hatchell later declared that the incident happened during a rebound ing scuffle....complete fabrication.

Just in general...does Geno sometimes get outcoached? Sure....imo.

You remember correctly, Blake. I remember that incident also. It made me jump right out of my seat. - and thought that one of the refs was looking right at it when it happened. Was Dee Kantner a ref in '94 ???

 

[uconnfan68]

Whatever, the situation at UNC next year is fascinating and I will watch with great interest. A group of players band together to work together to become the best team in the land...coach smoach...this is something that has never happened before, and is only possible because of the internet and the high level of communication between young players. Really, this is an amazing set of circumstances.

Probably made more fascinating by the Confederate flag being flown in the old state capital. That should make all those black players proud to represent UNC.

 

[VAUConnFan]

You remember correctly, Blake. I remember that incident also. It made me jump right out of my seat. - and thought that one of the refs was looking right at it when it happened. Was Dee Kantner a ref in '94 ???

Ms Kantner was most definitely an official in 1994; At that point only three years away from her pioneering stint in the NBA. But, if what you really want to know is who officiated the 1994 UConn game with North Carolina, that would be Kit Robinson and Mary Whatford.

 

[triaddukefan]

Probably made more fascinating by the Confederate flag being flown in the old state capital. That should make all those black players proud to represent UNC.

Thats a recent occurence... it was put up last week... and is in the process of being taken down as we type.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Ms Kantner was most definitely an official in 1994; At that point only three years away from her pioneering stint in the NBA. But, if what you really want to know is who officiated the 1994 UConn game with North Carolina, that would be Kit Robinson and Mary Whatford.

2-man teams back in '94 so some stuff was missed

 

[Blueballer]

2-man teams back in '94 so some stuff was missed

Unlike the modern game